What Were We Watching?: Recent Episodes
What Were We Watching?
Cam and Eric re-watch the movies they grew up with - before they starting taking them so seriously - and discuss their meanings both then and now.
Find our earlier episodes on our Bandcamp page: whatwerewewatching.bandcamp.com
THE PHANTOM pits a bemused beefcake against his scenery-chewing rivals in this swashbuckling swan song for the '90s pulp revival. Jake Beal joins us to Slam Evil! in our rousing conclusion to the Summer of Serials.
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? THE SHADOW knows! John Parton guides us through the urban crimefighter's morally gray world as the Summer of Serials goes where Art Deco decadence meets stylish MTV angst.
Alex Rodriguez joins us to kick off our Summer of Serials, a look back at Hollywood's infatuation with iconic pulp heroes of the 1930s and 40s. First up is DICK TRACY, a highly stylized love letter to the detective in the yellow overcoat and fedora.
Happy Planes-giving! We're serving up a heaping helping of hilarity with AIRPLANE! and AIRPLANE II: THE SEQUEL. Surely you'll love Josh Lee returning to land this episode safely. (And don't call us Shirley!)
Alisha Carderella helps us celebrate the true spirit of spooky szn with The Monster Squad, a cult classic that strikes a perfect balance between frights and frivolity. This episode's got nards!
There's no crying in podcasting when Amy Ambler helps us remember A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, as we consider how its snappy humor, deep bench of lovable characters, and empathetic calls for equality still resonate today.
A half-forgotten entrant in the '90s anthropomorphic hero team craze, WARRIORS OF VIRTUE put its own spin on the formula with a healthy dose of Daoist philosophy and wuxia wire-fighting wizardry.
Words can hardly describe TOYS, a whimsical and whacked-out family(?) romp with an especially impish Robin Williams. Kev Young is our playdate for this Christmas in July special as we try to make sense of it all!
A middle-aged comedian plays a 10-year-old terror in CLIFFORD, and Matt Steele is here to explain the genius of this unsettling, under-appreciated comedy.
Fueled by the power of Y2K butt rock, we blast off with John Parton and Ace Cordova to chart a course for the future of humanity with TITAN AE.
PULP FICTION was our gateway to a sophisticated world of adult storytelling, and its geeky, passionate genius reflects why we became cinephiles. More precious than your great-grandfather's gold watch, it's our 200th episode special!
It's the 8th Annual Dubbie Awards! As always, our yearly tradition of honoring the best in entertainment comes with a special nostalgic twist. And every listener has a front-row seat! (No formal wear required.)
It's Anthropomorph Madness! Nate Tapp helps us narrow down a bracket of 8 animated talking-animal teams with attitude, until we crown the winner of THE NINJA TURTLE KNOCKOFF-OFF.
Whether you're an angsty teen or a dorky adult, GHOST WORLD has you covered. We can relate, and so can our guests from the Sexy Books Podcast, Blythe Rudloff and Claire Holland!
SPIDER-MAN 2 brought boldface emotion, action, and humor straight from the comics to the cinema - and superhero films changed forever. Sam Stovold's love of this Spidey sequel will make you a true believer too!
We're stuffing our stockings with The 12 Bops of Christmas! Matt Palmer helps curate our playlist of nostalgic holiday songs and music videos. Happy ho ho ho to you!
We get groovy with Nate Tapp in our Shags-giving special as we feast on the Austin Powers sequels: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME and GOLDMEMBER. Oh behave!
A debuting Geoff Clarke comes to our rescue as we scale the intense action heights of CLIFFHANGER. You'd better hang on, because we like it extreme!
Sean Davis joins us to talk about the mischief, mayhem, and meanings of FIGHT CLUB, a haymaker of bleak social satire that lands even harder in our current times.
Jack Stovold makes all our wildest dreams come true in an absurd, kitschy, and emotionally rewarding journey with NAPOLEON DYNAMITE. It's probably the best episode we've ever done.
BOY MEETS WORLD served us a bestie bromance for the ages, and Manny Lozano helps us decode its signals as we appreciate the warmth, wackiness, and wisdom of a TGIF workhorse.
It's a real slobberknocker as Cody Stallings tags in to discuss the highlights of the bitter pro wrestling rivalry between the WWF and WCW. From the nWo to Hell in a Cell, it's still real to us, dammit!
Dearly beloved, we are gathered to revisit the Summer of Sandler and share our love for THE WEDDING SINGER. Lindsay Mead keeps the party going with a double shot of '80s and '90s nostalgia. Whoop-a-dee-doo!
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY demolishes the sequel mold, so say "hasta la vista" to your preconceptions as we talk about gun-toting moms and cyborg dads with Daniel Borders-Ashe!
Tween twin hijinks collide with complicated adult romance in 1998's THE PARENT TRAP. It's like discovering a long-lost sibling when Jenny Rudloff joins us to talk about queer subtexts, questionable parenting, and much more.
For the 7th edition of our annual awards show, we celebrate all the movies, shows, podcasts, and people that lifted our spirits in 2020. Put on your comfies and join us for the Dubbies From Home!
We reach peak '80s with THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE, a toyetic spectacle with surprising gravitas. John Parton brings the passion for this prime example of animated excess. Roll out!
We're talkin' tokusatsu in our latest bracket, examining American and Japanese takes on transforming teams of TV superheroes with Gensho Tasaka. It's Morph Madness, baby!
Hop in our DeLorean and (time) travel BACK TO THE FUTURE alongside special guest Amy Ambler. This episode is heavy...with the power of love!
We learn how to truly respect the elements of a sturdy high-concept blockbuster while chasing the kinetic thrills of TWISTER, thanks to special guest Jake Beal!
Atten-hut! New recruit Alex Rodriguez helps us sort out the timeless satire of STARSHIP TROOPERS. Would you like to know more? Then do your part and join us on this big, bombastic bug hunt.
We're making ranked lists...checking them twice...introducing a new thematic device: the Rankin/Bass Rank-A-Thon! Nate Tapp helps us evaluate four time-tested Christmas animations as we crown the classic among classics.
What's this? Why, it's that macabre musical mashup, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS! Kevin Young rides along in our coffin sleigh as we add a little ho-ho-horror to our holidays.
We get busy livin' with THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and its inspiring message of hope and perseverance. It's a feast befitting this special season - and in the spirit of Shanksgiving, we welcome new friend Barm (aka Tyler Neufeld) to our dinner table.
A sly, suspenseful, and savage whodunit, SCREAM 2 gives sequels a good name. Daren Sprawls inexplicably returns for more meta madness with the Woodsboro crew and another deep dive on an eclectic '90s soundtrack.
If you thought tin men and flying monkeys were strange, then prepare yourself for a RETURN TO OZ, with Brian Rudloff and Nate Tapp as our guides to the legendary nightmare fuel of this whimsically dark fantasy.
Let's get down to business as we flap our gums, and dig into the catchy tunes and cultural values of the gender-bending MULAN. Kevin Chu brings honor to our pod in an episode that will make a man/woman/person out of you!
THE LITTLE RASCALS teach us lessons about healthy relationships and the value of a dollar (hey hey hey hey), as Ariel Quist Sprawls helps us determine if the film's gender politics still look oh-tay to our adult eyes.
How far will you go to defend your fandom? That's the big question as SPICE WORLD and GLITTER face off in our star vehicle showdown, featuring stans Matt Steele and Matt Palmer going to bat for their pop music queens!
The Summer of Sandler strokes back with the quotable cross-training classic HAPPY GILMORE. Jim Gallivan joins us for his first round on the podcast as we tee up our favorite lines and find out if the Sandman's sense of humor is still up to par...jackass!
Marionette might makes right in the raunchy action parody TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE. Andrew McNally helps guide us through complex feelings about America, South Park, and satire in a special 4th of July blowout. Fuck yeah!
Kiddie competitions clash in our Nickelodeon Gameshow Showdown! Grand prize guest Brian Rudloff joins us as we debate a bracket of Legendary '90s TV contests. D-d-d-do you have the Guts to tackle this Wild & Crazy episode?
Few adventures seize our hearts like INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM. Manny Lozano brings fortune, glory, and whip-smart insight in his long-awaited return to the 'cast as we unpack Indy's most challenging chapter.
Matt Schley makes his WWWW debut as we plumb the depths of SUPER MARIO BROS. and follow Nintendo's enduring icons into a inter-dimensional tale of dinosaurs, dictatorship, and de-volution. Let's-a go!
THE ROCKETEER ignites our imaginations with its winning combination of high flying thrills, art deco style, and old school optimism. Eric Wheeler jets in to pontificate on pulp adaptations and Hollywood's Golden Age in this heroically heartfelt episode. Go get 'em, kid!
Um, we forgot to record an episode... But you can't keep this podcast down, as good boys Brian Rudloff and Sam Stovold take over as guest hosts for a lively ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN discussion! Treasure it now, because after this you can never come baaaaack.
Nobody can ignore the leviathan that is TITANIC, a film that's both an obsessive memorial to its namesake and a monument to top-shelf Hollywood spectacle. It's just the tip of the conversational iceberg as the unsinkable Blythe Rudloff of @SexyBooksPod comes aboard for an episode you've got to hear near, far, wherever you are!
No monkey business is too silly as we check out DUNSTON CHECKS IN! Ryan Kasmiskie of the No One Can Know About This podcast joins our orangu-gang and helps us appreciate the film's many unique amenities.
Awards season gets twice as nice with THE DOUBLE DUBBIE AWARDS, the sixth edition of our annual accolades. We're honoring our favorites of 2019 AND commemorating the best of the past ten years with our prestigious Dubbies of the Decade. We hope you really, really like this wonderfully effusive episode!
Hey bud-dy! We unearth the early '90s artifact ENCINO MAN with the help of our missing link--and lifelong Valley resident--Jose Santos. Just grease the 'do back and wheeze on this buff-fest with us, man.
What year is it!? As a new decade dawns, we get sucked into a jungle of cinematic, literary, and gaming nostalgia with JUMANJI and debuting guest Matt Polizzi. It's an episode for all those who seek to find a way to leave the present behind...
We celebrate the Hoth-idays with the WINTER WARS-A-THON, a special Star Wars-themed version of our festive clip collection, as Brian Rudloff joins us inside our toasty Tauntaun carcass. Merry Christmas to all, and may the Force be with you!
We celebrate the ho-ho-holiday season with Tim Allen's turn as a smart aleck St. Nick in THE SANTA CLAUSE. Special guest Nate Tapp cartoonishly squeezes down our chimney to help us examine the fine print on this Santa succession story. Naughty or nice, this magical episode is our gift to you!
It's Hanksgiving! And what better way to celebrate this new tradition than with the dewy-eyed nostalgia of FORREST GUMP, the comedic genius of T.Hanks, and the thoughtful views of Kevin Young?
Our annual 'Ween-A-Thon gets Super Long! Sam Stovold helps us conclude Joke-tober by poring over our Halloween haul of pop culture treats with a spooky superhero twist.
A morally grounded crime-fighter collides with a flamboyant rogues' gallery on BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, and Jack Stovold is here to help explain why it endures with Bat-fans and cartoon connoisseurs alike.
The Summer of Sandler concludes with BILLY MADISON! Daren Sprawls helps us relive our own school years, when we too dreamed of our crushes, annoyed our bus drivers, and peed our pants. It's the coolest!
The Summer of Sandler swerves into auteur territory with Paul Thomas Anderson's PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE, as the Sandman channels his gift for comedic rage into a bracing and wonderfully odd character study.
Years before we tried "adulting," the surreal slapstick of ROCKO'S MODERN LIFE warned us what was in store outside our childhood bubbles. Jake Beal returns for a pod of Conglom-O proportions on a cartoon that was well ahead of its time.
The Summer of Sandler heats up with LITTLE NICKY, as we take a detour on the highway to hell to revisit the good, the bad, and the butt-ugly in this tale of a bashful Beezlebub.
We commemorate WWWW's 5th anniversary with the alpha of contemporary Disney animation: THE LION KING. Join us for podcast reflections, pre-mails, and a Sega Genesis playthrough as we remember who we are in this special 150th episode celebration!
We pledge allegiance to the Lieography podcast team--John Parton, Ace Cordova, and Joanna Phillips--as they help us evaluate the historical accuracy of THE PATRIOT in a special crossover episode. It's as American as fake news and freedom fries. Happy 4th of July!
THE WATERBOY helps us get hyped--and hydrated--for the Summer of Sandler, our latest seasonal theme. Forget about what mama says and join us for our first monthly dip into the Sandman's filmography. You can do it!
Nostalgia is more powerful than a Neuralyzer when we look back at MEN IN BLACK, a masterful blend of comedy, sci-fi, and buddy cop action. We WILL let you remember!
Whether you love it, hate it, or just remember the soundtrack, 1998's GODZILLA is the embodiment of Hollywood hype. Daren Sprawls joins us for a clash of skyscraper-sized opinions and a bonus musical medley!
ALADDIN promised a whole new world of narrative possibilities for Disney with a zany, freewheeling attitude perfectly suited to the '90s. All our wishes are granted in this episode as Sean Davis joins us on a dazzling magic carpet ride.
Cartoons, video games, toys, trading cards: we catch 'em all at the Big Bang of the POKÉMON media universe. It's Pokéballs to the wall as a wild Josh Lee appears in his WWWW debut!
Baseball and brews go hand in hand, so what better way to watch THE SANDLOT than with our tipsy commentary track? Special guest Nate Tapp makes it a triple play as we drink our way through every minute of this ageless classic. Check out the drinking game rules on our blog to play along. Batter up!
Our favorite disciple, Jake Beal, takes us to (Sunday) school in an epic Easter special examining the complexity and the controversy of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST.
The crooked and the cruel get their comeuppance in MATILDA, a power fantasy for gifted kids that may inspire a craving for chocolate cake. Special guest Kevin Chu returns for this (tele)kinetic episode!
In celebration of Cam's birthday, we uncover "The Secret of the Booze" in our very first feature-length commentary/drinking game episode! Grab some cold ones and get Super Shredded along with us as we drunkenly discuss the playful humor and rad '90s attitude of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II in real time.